detais added (first version was published at 20:27)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 10
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
According to the preliminary data, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who gained 56.97 percent of votes in Turkey's presidential elections, is in the lead, the Turkish Supreme Electoral Council reported on Aug. 10.
According to the CEC, 45.54 percent of the ballot boxes were opened.
According to preliminary results, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is on the second place with 35.53 percent and the third is Salahaddin Demirtas with 8.36 percent of the votes.
Voting in the 12th presidential election started in Turkey Aug.10, at 8 a.m. (local time).
As distinct from the previous presidential election, the Turkish president will be elected by the people, not by the parliament as of 2014, according to the results of a referendum held in 2007. The Turkish president will be elected for five-year term instead of the previous seven-year term, according to the referendum results.
About 53,017,214 people in Turkey have the right to vote in the presidential election.
The presidential election will last until 17:00 (local time). The country has banned the broadcast of entertainment programs and the sale of alcoholic beverages on election day.
The official information about the course of the presidential election in Turkey will be provided only by the country's Central Election Commission (CEC) from 08:00 till 21:00 (local time).
The preliminary results of the presidential election in Turkey will be announced Aug.11 and the country's CEC will announce the official results of the presidential election Aug.15.
Three candidates are running for the post of president in Turkey.
Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party nominated Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's candidacy for the presidential election.
Turkish oppositional Republican People's Party (CHP) nominated the former Secretary-General of the OIC Ekmeleddin lIhsanoglu as a candidate for the presidential election.
The third presidential candidate is the chairman of the Peoples' Democratic Party [HDP] (former pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party) Salahaddin Demirtas.
If none of the candidates gains 51 percent of votes in the first round, the second round will take place Aug.24.